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"He was a bit of a sarcastic devil, was
Errol, but it was done with such charm and sense of mischief
that he was always forgiven." - Stewart Granger.
This charming man of good looks and comedic wit
seem to have come out of nowhere. However this Tasmanian native
had been doing a lot in his homeland before making it big in Hollywood.
Previous to his career Flynn partook in being a slave trader, a
sailor, a gold hunter, and a journalist. He was much like that of
his infamous character Robin Hood; he robbed from his own life to
give to the silver screen.
Flynn portrayed his characters so well because
he was essentially just like them. However his life was cut much
too short by a combination of scandal, drugs, and alcohol; he died
at the age of 50, in 1959. Some of his best contributions were 1935's
"Captain Blood", "The Adventures of Robin Hood"
(1938), "The Dawn Patrol" (1938), "They Died With
Their Boots On" (1941), and 1942's magnificent "Gentleman
Jim".
Perhaps it is with this last quote that we
see the true passion and turmoil of Flynn's character both off
and on the screen. When asked where he was going, he replied,"
To hell or to glory. It depends upon your point of view."
(CD)
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